(Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Its the 2009 - 2010 season, about three years since Thierry Henry left Arsenal for Barcelona, its also three years since Arsene Wenger (Arsenals manager) has promised that this year will be the end to our four year trophy drought, but what's the different this year? What's changed?
On Saturday August 15th 2009 at approximately 05:30 pm, the 2009 - 2010 season kicked off with a bang, Everton vs Arsenal (last years 5th and 4th place) were about to kick off. After fighting it out for fourth place, with Arsenal coming 4th by only nine points, every one new it would be a difficult game.
The game was going to be a tough start for Arsenal, made harder after the loss of two key players from last season, Aderbayor and Kolo Toure. Arsenals starting line up, which looks like the starting line up that Wenger is going to use for the rest of the season looked like this; Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Song, Vermaelen, Glichy, Fabergas, Denilson, Van Persie, Bendtner and Arshavin, with Mannnone, Silvestre, Gibbs, Eboue, Merida, Ramsey and Eduardo on the bench.
Even though the odds were with Arsenal it looked like it would be an even game. The game kicked off and within 26 mins Denilson had scored for Arsenal, with Vermaelen (37 min) Gallas (41 min) Fabergas (48, 70 min) and Eduardo (89 min) all scoring soon after, with Everton only getting the one goal (Saha 90 min). The press went mad, Arsenal had won away at Goodison Park 6 - 1 destroying Everton, 'the young guns finally all grown up' screamed the headlines.
The following week Arsenal were playing Portsmouth which Arsenal beat 4-1 at home, 'Arsenal's done it again' the press screamed!
The Following week was Manchester United away at Old Trafford, after such a bad start for United by nearly beating Birmingham 1 - 0 and losing to Burnley 1 - 0 the only game United had to be proud of was the 5 - 0 smashing of Wigan. Arsenal played terribly and United dominated the whole game.
United won 2 - 1, and apart from an incredible goal, and a few good chances United made Arsenal look like a bunch of school boys. it was disastrous.
With four days left in the transfer window every one expected Wenger to break his horrible rule and sign a new player Arsenal so desperately needed, but no he didnt buy any one despite making fourty million this summer on selling key players.
The Young Guns aren't grown up, with an average age of around 22 for the starting line up they are still incredibly inexperienced and compared to squads like Liverpool, Chelsea, United, Spurs and City what chance does Arsenal have?
The answer all depends on a few things such as keeping key players like Van Persie, Walcott, Fabergas, Gallas, Glichy, Eduardo and Arshavin match- fit, without these players the answer is 'no chance', but with them I believe Arsenal can finish in between 3 and 6th place in the Barclays Premiership this season. Lets hope I'm wrong and Arsenal finsh first but only time will tell.
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